Jōshō
Jōshō is a Contractor in the ranks of the French Southern Government, becoming one of the three heads of hunter squads, which track down and kill other Contractors. Unlike the other Contractors of the Hunter Project, he is aware that the IHF intends to destroy all of the world's Contractors rather than just eliminate non-government Contractors, as they pretend. He is also aware that not even he will be spared, but remains in their ranks anyways, considering the eradication of Contractors to be worth his life, due to a prophecy made to him by another Contractor. He is known in all the countries where the Hunter Project has a presence for his ruthless killing of numerous Contractors, and is known as the Holy Grim, for the almost zealous way he pursues his goal. Appearance Jōshō's look is that of a man still in his youth, but nearing middle age, and with the weathered appearance of one much older than he. His hair is brown and swept back, with a variety of shades, corresponding to the exposure to the sun each area has received. It spikes up or to the side slightly in some areas, but falls back to his head whenever he moves swiftly. His eyes are dark blue, almost black, and can shine or darken depending on the light. He has a hunting look to his face, with a hooked, handsome nose, and a harrowing look. His scars make him sometimes appear somewhat elderly, but at others hint at his incredible inner force, the destructive determination and peak of athleticism which he embodies. However, beyond the look, even when he is joyful and sadness the farthest thing from his mind, his face also betrays a hint of sorrow, with the look of one run haggard by misfortune at some point in the past. Josho often wears robes or armor, which may or may not be ornamental, to hide his skin, which has many skull carvings on it, due to his obeisance. He also commonly wears a mask resembling the ancient emperor Sargon of Akkad. Personality Before the appearance of the Heaven's Gate, Josho was a typical youth without much stress in his life. His school grades were average, but he got them with ease and was able to forget about school entirely most of the time. He was rather carefree, without any major issues or sources of distress, and didn't think too hard about much, preferring to wallow in contentedness. He was also volatile, reacting with shock to anything that disrupted his normally smooth lifestyle. This was because he was also somewhat naïve, being able to recognize when something was wrong but never guessing how big the issue might be, which was why he had never had much stress. He was simply oblivious to the darker side of life, and didn't recognize the signs that not everything was right. He thought of himself as a daredevil, but really only participated in activities that imitated danger, but were really controlled and safe, and he did not realize how unaccustomed to violence or real danger he was. After the appearance of the Gates, his personality immediately shifted, though at first it was less than normal in a Contractor. He became less prone to sudden reactions, and more relaxed than excitable, acting as if everything were predicted, although major events still shocked him. Throughout his time in the resistance, he matured, and grew accustomed to the ways of soldiers, growing harder and more seasoned. He was determined, but in a cold, implacable way rather than a fiery way. While he did not display the flames of ambition, he was as committed as anyone to his task. Things no longer affected him as easily as they had, and he became mostly emotionless, though he still expressed feelings of hope and longing, as well as joy when they became closer to completing their goals. Once he came to the conclusion that he had to put aside his old ideals and eradicate his own kind to preserve everything he knew, Josho became a completely different person from the youth he had been, and vastly changed even from the idealistic, hopeful revolutionary he was until then. He became a righteous killer, without any mercy given to those he hunted, and never showing any pity or regret of any kind about his chosen path or past deeds. He became completely iand utterly ruthless, even demonstrating disdain at times for the Contractors he hunts, but still did not appear overly cruel, beyond what his actions required. He never went out of his way to torture or mock an opponent, though he did not hesitate to do whatever was necessary to win a battle in any way possible. Even amongst the most determined and highest ranked of the Hunters, Josho was renowned as the most committed to his task, and rumors went about as to the cause of his hatred of Contractors, perhaps that they had killed his family or lover. Not once did these bother him in the slightest, or deter him from his task. He held irrequitable determination, and pursued his chosen task with a desperation and fervor, though never outwardly apparent, that at times bordered on zealousness. He was dogged in his pursuing of any Contractor. He became emotionless even more than before, becoming one of the most hardened killers in the hunters, and demonstrated few emotions. He did not react to almost anything, and while he displayed hatred of Contractors, he never showed any towards an individual, or let it out of control. Background When Josho first became a Contractor, upon the appearance of the Hell's and Heaven's Gates, he did not understand what had happened, and did not show the personality changes of a normal Contractor to the full degree until his powers first activated. However, even a partial personality shift attracted attention, and a group of Contractors suspected that he was one of them. One of their members became his friend, seemingly at random, until a government Contractor attacked them, killing the other man, and Josho was only saved by the activation of his contract, with his star vibrating in the sky as he grew claws and savaged his opponent. After the battle finished, they explained to him their status as an anti-government group, and the powers of Contractors. He later became the leader of the group, as they had only a few, weaker Contractors. However, in the final showdown, in which he succeeded, the leader of the corrupt Contractors, before his death, told Josho that all Contractors were as much of a problem as the corrupt ones, and used his Contract to show Josho a vision of the future. He saw a impoverished and destroyed land, devoid of civilization and wracked with roving pillagers. He asked a man lying in a ditch with an arm missing what had happened, and was told that the Contractors had done it. The vision then ended, and Josho found that the head of the corrupt Contractors had died from his wounds. Taking the vision to heart, Josho left his followers, unable to bring himself to kill them personally, and became a well-known murderer of Contractors. When he heard of the Hunter Project, he immediately found their headquarters and joined up, rising through the ranks to become one of their three unit commanders, and the most fervent in his "cleansing" of the Contractors. Synopsis Abilities Necrokinesis: As a Contractor, Jōshō has gained a unique ability, in his case that of Necrokinesis. This means that he may, at will, feel the deaths of all those around them, their causes and times. He can also see a way he could avert their death from happening, or else ease their passing. He can also feel, at will, whenever someone nearby or close to him is near to their death. Later, he gains the ability to influence this, using one aspect of the death, such as the killer, reason, or circumstances, as a type of "hinge" around which he turns the rest of the death to suit his needs. For example, if a man was going to die of a heart attack in two years, Jōshō could change the timing to right then, but leave the cause the same. He can play on the weakness that he know will eventually be his opponent's undoing, and also may take one person's death and give it to another, although he himself states that to do this is still not easy for him. As a final resort, he can personify a death and use it to kill whoever it touches of a certain cause. Obeisance: Jōshō's Obeisance is forgetting something from his past forever. Because of this, he has stated the wish not to overuse his ability, and so only uses it on those he feels a great connection or debt to. Depending on to what extent he uses the ability, the time erased varies. The memories are erased starting at the beginning of his life, and so he has not lost any memories that were more than vague recollections from his infancy. Expert Martial Artist: Jōshō, while usually not using his Contract in battle, can hold his own in physical battle with ease, as an elite martial artist. He utilizes a combination of blocks and strikes using his limbs, and is highly acrobatic, allowing for unexpected combinations. Equipment Guns: Jōshō carries a pistol on him at all times, and is trained in its usage for assassination and combat. He also is the owner of an Auto Assault-12, or AA-12, a fully automatic shotgun, though this he only brings with him on special missions when he believes it will be warranted. Tongs: As his Contract does not grant him much defensive or evasive ability, Jōshō has resorted to wielding a pair of tongs, made of tempered steel around diamond, and modified with a locking mechanism to enable them to capture bullets. Metamaterial Cloak: Jōshō has in his possession one of the most advanced prototypes of the metamaterial cloak, or "invisibility cloak". However, it is not perfect, and so has its weaknesses. Among these is the fact that it only deflects a certain range of waves, and so he can be noticed, though not as anything more than an abnormality. He also gives off a slight shadow, and can be seen as a darkness from the sides. Due to this, he prefers to utilize the cloak at night, when it is harder to notice abnormalities. Notepad: At times when he goes without even his pistol, Jōshō keeps his notepad and pen on him, because he uses it to write down things about his past right before or after using his Contract, to preserve his memories. Equipment Quotes Trivia * Jōshō's name means Risen in Japanese. * Jōshō's appearance is based off of that of Ikazuchi Akatsuki from the manga Deadman Wonderland. * Jōshō's alias comes from the Church Grim, said to guard graveyards. Their appearance heralds death. Category:Contractor Category:Character Category:Male Category:Thepantheon